Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

[Guest]

Even before word emerged that former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer intends to buy the L.A. Clippers for $2 billion, interest had been expressed by potential buyers of the Bills who would acquire the asset with the intent of relocating.

“Truthfully, there are parties that are interested in buying the team and moving it,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told WGR 550 on Thursday, via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. “We are trying to do what we can on our part to show that this community is moving forward to at least explore everything and all the options that are necessary, in the case the situation comes that we have a new owner that says, ‘I own the Bills. I’m fine with Ralph Wilson Stadium for the next five or six years, but I want out and I want to be somewhere different then.’”

That could be the clearest acknowledgement yet that the current lease for the Bills to play at the stadium named for the team’s late owner buys only time. Specifically, the lease provides a minimum of six seasons (when a limited window opens to bolt) and a maximum of nine seasons (when the lease expires).

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/02/bills-have-buy-and-move-candidates-for-ownership/

No panic.

It is not likely to happen.

Strange that this article was overlooked here.

I wonder why?

[Buckets]

Re: Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

This doesn't sound like anything new.

[Guest]

Re: Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

This doesn't sound like anything new.

I agree.

The article is new, but the news is not.

We just don't hear much other than about the potential local buyers.

There are non-local potential buyers as well other than Bon Jovi.

[OpIv37]

Re: Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

The only thing really new here is the price of the Clippers. If someone is willing to pay that much for them, what are people willing to pay for the Bills? And can local buyers match bids from buyers from places like LA?

I don't know the answers. Just something to think about, which I believe is the point of the article.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Re: Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

Yes this Clippers thing is a bit troublesome.

[Fletch]

Re: Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

I agree.

The article is new, but the news is not.

We just don't hear much other than about the potential local buyers.

There are non-local potential buyers as well other than Bon Jovi.

Jerry Jones expressed it very well when he was interviewed in a piece on ESPN. In other words what he said was that out of respect some time needs to pass prior to people interested in moving the team coming forward to express that interest. There will be plenty whether it's Toronto or elsewhere. The implication in his statements however was that there's a good chance of the team moving, otherwise he would have taken a more "there's nothing for Bills fans to worry about" approach, which clearly wasn't the message.

I think that this is heating up now though. I'm sure that there will be plenty of news and reports between now and the start of training camp.

[Guest]

Re: Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

We need to keep in mind that the NFL owners are not going to allow a new owner to relocate to another city and keep the value bump all to himself.

They will require a relocation fee of $200 - $500M in return for their approval for the move.

So an owner who is determined to move the Bills will need to invest considerably more than a local owner.

Now if a new owner buys the Bills, experiences poor attendance after raising prices substantially, can't get long corporate suite commitments and does not want to invest a dime of his own money in a new stadium in Buffalo, he can make an argument in 6-7 years in favour of a move (assuming a better location is then available).

Stating an intention to relocate the Bills from the start would be foolish.

[The King]

Re: Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

Doesn't Ralphs family own the team? Can't they decide who they sell it to?

[Albany,n.y.]

Re: Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

Even the guys who are promising to keep the Bills in Buffalo are dangerous down the road. Trump is 67, almost 68 & Golisano is 72-either one or both could be dead in 6-9 years. Unless they've already built a new stadium with either team ownership or a long term ironclad lease if a new owner who made promises dies, there's no guarantee his heirs will keep their late relative's promises.
I'd prefer younger ownership or someone like Jacobs whose sons would be committed to keeping the Bills in WNY. Trump or Golisano provide no long term security for WNY.

[GingerP]

Re: Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

Doesn't Ralphs family own the team? Can't they decide who they sell it to?

Nobody knows that. From the article:

"I've spoken to [Bills CEO Russ] Brandon, I've spoken to [Bills CFO Jeffrey Littmann]. They know my request, which is to pick the owner that's going to keep the team in Buffalo. But I don't know if that's going to be the decision that the trustees will end up doing," Poloncarz told WBEN. "If they end up getting a bid that's so much higher than anybody else, I don't know if they can turn it down. They may have the fiduciary duty to accept it."

So it depends on how the trust is set up. If the trust says sell to the highest bidder, that is what they have to do. Nobody is saying what the trust specifies.

[Guest]

Re: Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

Doesn't Ralphs family own the team? Can't they decide who they sell it to?

Depends on the terms of Ralph's estate trust.

Typically, estate assets are sold to the highest bidder.

[The King]

Re: Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

Doesn't it seem weird that Ralph made all these rules about moving the team but simply controlling who the team is sold to could easily overwrite that?

[Bill Cody]

Re: Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

Doesn't it seem weird that Ralph made all these rules about moving the team but simply controlling who the team is sold to could easily overwrite that?

It's what some of us have been concerned about for many years and have said so...vocally. For that concern we're branded negative, haters, etc

[Skooby]

Re: Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

Get a big money group from Toronto that's willing to spend the money needed to buy the team & build a centrally located stadium in the Falls. I think you're going to see a $1.7 Billion sale just for the team, if they can afford that then the stadium shouldn't be a big deal.

[OpIv37]

Re: Bills have buy-and-move candidates for ownership

Doesn't Ralphs family own the team? Can't they decide who they sell it to?

It's a bit more complicated than that but the simple answer is yes.

Here's the problem: does his family care about keeping the team in Buffalo, and if so, how much do they care?

If Golisano offers $850 million to keep the team here and Bon Jovi offers $1 bil to TO, maybe they tell him to take his extra $150mm and go **** himself.

But what if someone like Ballmer offers $1.85 billion? Are they really going to turn down a billion dollars just to keep the team in Buffalo?

Obviously this is example is a bit extreme and it's highly unlikely that there will be a difference of a billion between bids. But everyone has their price. What's Mary Wilson's? Also don't forget that Ralph and his family aren't from the area and don't have any ties or loyalty beyond the team itself.